Lance Palmer refuses to dwell up to now.
As he prepares for a return to motion for the primary time in over a 12 months, the two-time PFL champion isn’t making an attempt to say his earlier championship wins will predetermine the end result for the upcoming season. He could also be thought-about the No. 1 seed because the season will get began, however he understands higher than anyone that rankings don’t decide outcomes.
Refusing to dwell off previous glory may be the identical recommendation that Palmer gives to his upcoming opponent, Bubba Jenkins, who makes his promotional debut after they conflict on Friday night time within the Season three opener, PFL 1: Pettis vs. Collard.
Again in faculty, Jenkins bought the higher of Palmer a number of instances after they competed as rivals on two of the highest wrestling applications within the nation at Penn State and Ohio State, respectively. Whereas the wrestling matches passed off greater than a decade in the past, Jenkins has stated within the leadup to the battle that he believes his superiority in these matches will function a psychological roadblock for Palmer after they lastly meet within the cage.
Very similar to his method to the upcoming season, Palmer may solely chortle on the suggestion that his previous losses to Jenkins will play any position in any respect of their battle.
“If we go all the way in which again to wrestling one another, I did beat him in one of many matches we competed in that 12 months, and all of the matches we competed in have been in that season, that 2008 season,” Palmer defined in an interview with MMA Preventing. “So it’s like I suppose he can return and say, ‘Yeah, in 2008 I beat this man or that man,’ but when we return to 2008, I beat Jordan Burroughs. Does that make me an Olympic champ? No, it doesn’t.
“There’s a number of methods you’ll be able to sort of take a look at it and justify issues, however I feel he’s doing that to maintain himself motivated or give himself confidence going into it, which is okay.”
For his half, Palmer solely sees Jenkins as any individual he’s confronted in wrestling matches 13 years in the past and nothing extra. There’s no lingering rivalry exterior of Jenkins nonetheless clutching onto these wins.
“Truthfully for me, I’ve identified Bubba since 2005 – I don’t contemplate this a rivalry in any respect,” Palmer stated. “I simply consider it as an individual that I do know exterior of combating that I’m combating now. So far as there being a rivalry, I feel he’s the one which’s tried to create a rivalry in his personal head. I don’t see the rivalry there. I simply see a great competitor. Any individual I do know who did very well in wrestling, 12, 13 years in the past.
“We’re each in fully totally different factors in our lives. We’re in our 30s. The final time we each competed in wrestling was over a decade in the past, and we’re each fighters now. I feel persons are making an attempt to weigh our battle primarily based off what our wrestling careers have been. I feel they’re going to be very shocked in the event that they go by that.”
Whereas Jenkins has actually put collectively a strong MMA profession with a 14-Four document total, Palmer believes he’s simply turn out to be the superior fighter whereas going through and vanquishing higher opponents.
“I feel so far as MMA careers go, I’ve fought harder competitors,” Palmer stated. “I’ve performed higher towards powerful competitors than he has, and I feel I simply have extra abilities in the case of profitable this battle.”
Greater than something, Palmer loves the matchup with Jenkins as a result of it offers him a chance to set the stage for the beginning of the featherweight season the place he hopes to turn out to be a three-time PFL champion.
He could be the prohibitive favourite to win all of it once more, however Palmer is aware of he at all times has to exit and show it.
Beating Jenkins within the first battle of the season will assist Palmer kick off his 2021 marketing campaign, however that additionally doesn’t imply the work shall be completed. There are nonetheless six different guys gunning for the championship.
“As a result of he’s the loudest out of all people, so it sort of places him within the backseat for the remainder of the season,” Palmer stated about beating Jenkins within the first battle of the 12 months. “However so far as competitor, Movlid [Khaybulaev] might be one of many harder guys within the division total. I feel skill-wise and fight-wise, he’s a extremely fascinating opponent.
“So far as it goes proper now, I’m simply fully centered on Bubba and as soon as April 23 is over, we’ll get to have a look at the opposite guys.”